Kurt Busch will take track at Iowa Speedway

Kurt Busch is looking forward to racing at Iowa Speedway.

The 2004 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion welcomes the challenge of a track he hasn't raced and the opportunity to run in front of a fan base that may not have experienced him in person. The fiery Busch could use a boost to his image.

Busch will be the first Sprint Cup champion to compete at the Newton track when he races in Sunday's NASCAR Nationwide Series Pioneer Hi-Bred 250, beginning at 1 p.m. Busch will practice Saturday morning, then head to Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway that evening for the Sprint Cup's Sprint All-Star Race before returning for the Nationwide event.

Busch will compete for Kyle Busch Motorsports, which in its first year in the Nationwide Series, making his sixth Nationwide start this year. The brothers picked the events they wanted to race.

"I was like 'Heck, I want to do both Iowa races,' " Busch said in a teleconference with Iowa media last week. "Plus, I haven't been to Iowa Speedway for a race before so I'd love to challenge myself at a new track."

Even more than providing a new challenge, running at a new venue will expose Busch to a new sect of followers. It provides a chance to make a good impression while interacting with Midwestern fans. It might help the perception of quick-tempered driver that had a rough split with Penske Racing at the end of last season and was fined $50,000 and put on probation until July 25 Tuesday after incidents during and after the Sprint Cup Bojangles' Southern 500 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway last weekend.

"You can look at it that way," Busch said. "That's really why I wanted to race both Iowa races this year. I haven't raced in that region all that much. For the fans to come up and be part of the autograph session or the meet-and-greets, that's where you really get to learn a driver, the personality and how they're impacting the sport.

"When you're out there racing that's the other side of it, too. They want to root for a guy who is moving his car up toward the front and putting on a good show."

Busch, who joined Phoenix Racing, who formerly teamed with Cedar Rapids driver Landon Cassill, has had his share of good showings in the 2012 Sprint Cup season, but those have included frustrating endings. He contended for a top-5 to top-10 finishes the last two weeks, but late issues and accidents have forced him to settle for a 21st at Darlington and 20th at Talladega.

"It's been a good battle for us," said Busch, who is 25th in the Sprint Cup standings with a top-10 finish. "We've had some very good runs this year, up front and led a few laps. We're right in the mix, but we have little things that come at the end of these races. We're doing our best to learn from the mistakes and the little things that will pop up. As we continue moving forward, lots of good track time that we've had has helped us build a better notebook. I feel like we'll be better prepared for the upcoming months."

He has placed Phoenix Racing in serious contention to add a second Sprint Cup victory to a small, underfunded team. The team loves his desire to win, but can do without problems like at Darlington.

"For us, it's a double-edged sword," Phoenix Racing General Manager Steve Barkdoll told ESPN. "Kurt's passion for the sport is something we've never realized here."

Busch has adjusted to small teams and running with his brother's team for some Nationwide events. He has embraced a return to basics.

"It's been a blast, coming back to more of the roots of racing, which is the smaller teams with a smaller budget," Busch said. "Also, like my little brother's team do it as a family. It's been a great project to build this program up."

Kyle Busch has had success at Iowa Speedway in the past and has shared some secrets of the 0.875-mile oval, including how to maneuver the infamous bump between Turns 1 and 2.

"Easier said than done," the older Busch said, "but any time you get advice from little brother, who is the most winningest driver in Nationwide you better take that and put it in your pocket."

Busch is looking to secure a trophy, check and points by doing the best he can, despite relying on someone else to qualify the car while he is in Charlotte.

"We're a new team, building the foundation," Busch said. "I've never been to the track before. We're going to have somebody qualify the car because I have to head back for the All-Star race. We'll be starting in the back and hopefully working our way to the front and putting on a good show."